Featured Image: Editorial illustration for Koller #3 Kitsch / Magazine published by the local Bremen literature collective Kollit / Illustration for Großkram, a text by Vera Broszeit / Photographies by Melina Berndt / 2024
University of the Arts Bremen / Course: Ich <3 Kitsch, Redaktionelle Illustration für IllustratorInnen / Prof. Samuel Nyholm / 2023-2024
In collaboration with the literature collective Kollit, we illustration students under the supervision of Prof. Samuel Nyholm created a series of editorial illustrations for the texts that were released in the third issue of Koller. We had the opportunity to delve deeply into the theme of kitsch, what it means, to us and to others. How there can be good kitsch and bad kitsch and all types of nuances in between. Kitsch is done ironically and wholeheartedly.
I didn’t choose the text that I illustrated but funnily enough it fit perfectly. I could relate a lot to the person in the text that collects stuff and has a lot of keepsakes even though the memories attached to them might be painful. Everybody collects something, sometimes even weird and questionable things. To me, that is kitschy in itself.
The front- and back cover were made in collaboration between Thiemo Pitsch (idea), Sylvana Lehnoff-Orantes (color), Melina Berndt and me who did the overall design and sketch layer. If you go to this Instagram post you can read a bit more about the thought process and the making of the cover. To sum it up: tattoos – wearing something that you love forever on your skin – that is the utmost kitsch to me, personally. But in the best way.
Own your kitsch.
